Joeyray's Bar
Riksville, Mar Sara

The bar was empty, as usual. There was no one else around; even Ray, the bar's owner, was nowhere to be seen – although a security camera tracking the movements of anyone who enters, whether a newcomer or a well-known patron, suggests his presence somewhere in the building. The old jukebox playing another rebel song and the TV with a bullet hole also suggested the presence of a customer or customers earlier (and probably didn't like whatever was on the news).

Which suited Nico Yazawa just fine. Happy hour with the other patrons was fine and all, but more often than not she enjoyed a few bouts of relative solitude here and there. Those moments were few and far between, considering her career.

The current song ended, and the jukebox quickly played another. This time it was a song she was intimately familiar with. The music was lighthearted, and the beat relatively fast, but when the singing began, she smiled a small, proud smile. It was her voice, of course. She was a fairly young professional singer, and she would have been able to make it big in the Terran Dominion had it not been for her life choices.

Nico always dreamed of being a professional idol. Living the glamorous and sparkling life, with the spotlight almost always on her, dancing on-stage and being on holo boards all over the Dominion, including the ones in her hometown of Backwater Station. An ill-fitting name for the hometown of a super idol, she still thought to this day, but she had hopes that her stardom would revitalize the station, and maybe get it renamed into something much prettier as well. Maybe Nico-Nii Station.

However, growing up under the Dominion's heavy hand quickly changed her perspectives. The Dominion established their presence through fear, and forced labor and conscription took away many of the people she'd known growing up. Even her own father... She'll never forget that night, when it was just her and her mother still awake, with Nico's two younger sisters and little brother already sound asleep in their room. The two had been waiting anxiously for days: Nico's father was forced to work at the mining outpost to the north last week. Though they were assured that his contract was only for one excavation job, it was a dubious promise, and Nico and her mother weren't exactly assured. They kept track of the news every day, and waited every night, holding on to a wish that he would come back home in the dead of night, safe and sound. Eventually, they did receive news, but not the sort they wanted: Nico's father was reported to have died in a laser drill accident.

The truth, however, was worse, and was what prompted Nico to reject the Dominion altogether: her father's contract had been done on the day he died, but he was being forced to work there permanently; in protest, he tried to sneak away, but was shot by Marine guards when he was spotted trying to get past the outpost's entrance. The news was delivered to them by a neighbor who successfully escaped days later, and their grief slowly turned into anger.

Nico eventually joined an underground resistance group, where she used her voice to contribute to a collection of revolutionary songs which was hoped to inspire civilians in all settlements of Mar Sara to rise up against the Dominion. Of course, she also insisted on getting combat training, because she wanted a piece of the people who had her father killed.

It was during that time when her psionic potential manifested itself, at first during routine marksmanship training. She liked to imagine that the targets she were shooting at were Dominion Marines, and it lit her up whenever she started firing. But that time, she noticed that the others on the range were acting unusually angry at the targets as well, attacking them with far longer bursts to the center of the head and moving toward the targets while shooting. Then, she started hearing voices in her head, quickly realizing that they were the voices of the others around her.

But her abilities really became obvious during her first mission to escort some smugglers carrying supplies for the group. It was supposedly a fairly safe mission with minimal Dominion contact, and it was, for the most part: only a small unit of four Marines were present, which would be a challenge for her and the other three escorts, but manageable. It turned out that the other three were unnecessary: as the firefight began, Nico fired a shot in each of the three, penetrating their CMC powered combat suits and downing them instantly. The last one started to run back to his post and call for reinforcements, only to be lifted up in the air and forcibly thrown back down to the ground, actually cracking his suit.

Nico was understandably confused at what she'd done afterwards, while her teammates were left in awe. She was the toast of the bar that night, and, the following day, was tested for her psionic ability. She was rated 9 on the Psi Index, making her almost on par with Sarah Kerrigan before her infestation. She was still very much untrained, though she was eager to tap into her potential and control it. It was eventually decided that her would be transported to the Umojan Protectorate once Mar Sara was free, to have her trained as a Shadowguard: the Umojan covert agents, the equivalent of Ghosts (but without the associated limiters and control protocols). After her training, she eventually plans on taking the fight to the Dominion itself, and once that was done, she looked forward to retiring and becoming a full-time idol. That idol dream became the light that helped her find her way back whenever the darkness of her anger threatened to take over her, and helped keep her untrained psionic ability in check.

But first things first. Mar Sara needed to be liberated, and the first step was about to happen. She'd received word that Raynor's Raiders were about to plan an operation, and that she and her group would be assisting in liberating Backwater Station. After finishing her drink, she left money on the counter, picked up the case containing her C-10 Mk. VI canister rifle, and left the bar as her first ever recorded song faded out.

Mar Sara City

At a more populated bar in the capital, an accomplished duo sang in front of a crowd. Their song was about hope, freedom, and reaching for one's dreams, and it seemed quite appropriate for their audience, considering that this particular bar, like the more run-down one in Riksville, served patrons who were dissidents of the Dominion.

Honoka Kousaka and Kotori Minami had been a singing duo for over a year now. Honoka was the first who pitched the idea to her longtime best friend, and, as Kotori always did, went along with her enthusiastically. They became local celebrities, especially with the themes of their songs: the Dominion's dictatorial practices on the fringe world – often backed by propaganda, Marines, and armored weapon platforms – ensured a constant wave of both despair and resentment brimming among the populace, and the songs kept the sentiment alive and burning, as well as helping the people hold on to their hope that liberation would come; at the same time, the light and patriotic-sounding nature of the songs, coupled with the sweet and bubbly voices of the two female songbirds, meant that they were allowed past the Dominion's strict censors and heard across the city, even transmitted via radio across all other settlements on Mar Sara when they debuted their first mini-album.

Which was a part of their plans when they started singing. They both loved to sing, of course – and Kotori would willingly follow Honoka in almost any of her pursuits – but another reason was to aid in the eventual revolution in Mar Sara. Aside from the support their songs give, they also distributed most of their earnings among the rebel groups in the city, and they also secretly worked as medics for the most prominent group in the region: Raynor's Raiders.

The people were ready to begin. They only needed the long-awaited spark, and when they heard about the Raiders getting ready to mobilize and liberate Backwater Station, they knew it was time.

"Thank you, everyone," Kotori said to the audience right after the news was announced. "We hope you enjoyed our music."

"Now it's time for our next performance, featuring all of us here!" Honoka declared. "Let's do our best, okay?" The crowd raised their fists and drinks with a cheer. "Let's fight on!"

It would be Honoka and Kotori's last singing performance for a while, but they would be working for a better future where they'll be able to sing much happier songs. They (along with everyone else in the bar) readied themselves for an all-out revolt.

Special Operations Dropship
Low orbit above Mar Sara

"Exiting low planetary orbit. Fifty minutes before touchdown. Atmospheric entry in ten minutes. Heat shield integrity at 100%."

The two young women within the dropship's transport bay merely nodded at the announcement from the pilot. Touchdown was expected to be smooth: it was their fourth special ops dropship insertion, and they've worked with the pilot twice before.

For Umojan Covert Operation Agents A102194E and S031595U, their current mission was relatively easy: infiltrate Mar Sara City and assist in the revolution against the Terran Dominion. Specifically, they were to decapitate the head of the local Dominion government and sabotage Dominion military installations. It was not their first 'wet work' operation, but the situation required that their presence should not be felt in any way. The Dominion should not know they were here, nor should they suspect any form of Umojan assistance at all, as the Umojan Protectorate did not wish to openly challenge the Dominion, nor do they have the strength to do so. Yet.

'Another covert destabilization operation,' both thought. They were both psionics with a Psi Index rating of 8.5, so they were able to communicate with each other via telepathy. It was a convenient way of communications, which also allowed them to lighten their loadouts by forgoing communication equipment. Then again, with their radio silence orders, they wouldn't have been able to use conventional comms anyway.

A102194E found a mirror and removed her ghost visor. The visor provided tactical intelligence on battlefield conditions with its fairly powerful scanner system, tracking targets around the agent's position as well as providing a map of the surrounding area. The visor also got in the way of the agent's long golden hair, which she then tied in a ponytail.

"Equipment check, Umi?" she asked the other agent.

S031595U, real name Umi Sonoda, had just finished what her partner had asked. "All green, Eli," she replied. "C20A rifles are properly sighted, loaded and safed. And, of course, my Hostile Environment Suit and ghost visor are 100% working and undamaged. What about yours?"

A102194E, real name Eli Ayase, smiled at Umi as she continued to adjust her hair. Once satisfied, she replaced her visor. "My suit and visor are also good, thank you for asking." She then turned around to face Umi. "You should probably tie your hair as well."

"I don't think anyone will be able to get close enough to pull my hair around. Nor will I let them."

Though Eli was a year older, the two of them became shadowguard agents at the same time. Throughout their training, they displayed an impressive synergy which almost felt natural, prompting their trainers to assign them with each other at the end of their training. They've participated in all their missions together, and even off-duty it was a rare occurrence to see one of them without the other.

This mission felt like just another to them, because of that. It would be tense once they're down on the field, they knew, but as long as they stuck to their training and trusted in each other, they should be able to pull it off cleanly.

"Entering Mar Sara atmosphere," the pilot announced. "Brace yourselves for re-entry, girls."

After securing their equipment, the two sat back down and secured themselves. The dropship shook slightly as they started piercing through the planet's lower thermosphere. It reminded Umi of one particularly violent storm on Umoja during a field training exercise...

"Aitai no Summer," Umi sang just loudly enough to be heard by Eli, then looked at her expectantly. Her voice was surprisingly deep and powerful for someone of her age.

Eli chuckled silently. She found Umi writing something right after that exercise. It turned out to be a song in an old Earth language, which surprised the blonde (and embarrassed the bluenette greatly, to the former's amusement). Umi was surprised as well when she found out that Eli understood what she was writing, finding out afterwards that they shared a heritage. The next day, Eli caught Umi singing it, and after waiting for her embarrassment to pass, sang along with her. Since then, it was a little song that they shared together during private moments, such as the one they were currently in. "Kotoshi no Summer," Eli followed.

"Anata no watashi wa hitotsu no story," they both sang in unison. They continued singing as the dropship continued making the descent towards a marked area on the outskirts of Mar Sara City, where a small resistance unit was waiting for them.

Talematros, Shakuras

The Twilight Council is the seat of the Unified Protoss, the Daelaam. After the fall of Aiur, the Khalai became refugees in their own planet and sought sanctuary. With open arms, the Nerazim – the Protoss exiles who were banished for rejecting the Khala – welcomed their brethren through the only warp gate connecting the Protoss homeworld of Aiur to Shakuras, the haven of the Dark Templar. Safety both without and within was still an issue for both Protoss kindreds, as Zerg managed to pursue and infest parts of the planet, and treachery from hard-liners within both the Khalai and Nerazim threatened to shatter the already-tenuous alliance of the reunited Protoss. But they've endured, and both Templar and Dark Templar now stand as the Daelaam, working hand-in-hand to restore the Protoss legacy and eventually retake Aiur.

The council itself was not in session, as almost all members are supervising various sectors across the Nerazim capital city – specifically, supervising the construction of the ships of the Golden Armada, with which they would invade Aiur and reclaim it for the Protoss. Thus, save for a few Sentry drones patrolling within the council building, no one else would be able to hear the beautiful tones of an ancient Khalai instrument within one of the rooms.

All Protoss are natural psionic users. Their powers can be manifested in several ways, from subtle telepathic communications to spectacular and devastating psionic storms. The particular Protoss behind the instrument uses these same abilities to produce the music of her own creation, echoing across the empty hallways of the building. She was trained in the art of war, of course, as was her descendants before her – it was their duty as a people. However, no one can deny that such peaceful pursuits are also valuable, nor would she permit anyone to deny her.

She was, in fact, a well-known face among the Daelaam for these talents...despite her appearance.

The Protoss kindreds are usually easily identifiable through the color of the energy they wield: the Khalai's energies glowed bluish-white, like a particularly hot and bright star; the Nerazim's, channeling the controlled energies of the Void through them, glowed green; and the Tal'darim's, fanatics of the xel'naga who wield the pure energy of the Void, burned red. Other colors have been observed, but these three colors are generally the most common to be encountered among each Protoss kindred.

Anyone unfamiliar with the figure playing the instrument would, then, most likely report an incursion by some Tal'darim heretic. However, despite Maki's bright red eyes and psionic energies, she is completely of Khalai descent, and as a High Templar, she wears her people's golden armor with pride. Her bright red energies were unknown in origin, but it didn't affect her life greatly, aside from differing her aesthetically.

And making her feel a constant isolation which she'd felt since her younger years. Despite being a respected High Templar and a musician of great talent, most of her fellow Protoss are still wary of her because of the appearance of her energies. However, that same isolation was also responsible for her skill, as the near lack of anyone to bother her, despite the psionic bond between all Khalai known as the Khala, allowed her to hone her psionic ability in relative peace.

A Sentry passed by on the hallway outside, its blue scanner beam sweeping the hallway and briefly shining into the room through the translucent door. The Sentry eventually opened the door and scanned the room from outside, and the beam passed by her, but since she was not considered a threat, nothing else happened, and the Sentry continued on its way, with the door closing as it went out of sight. Maki continued to play through it all.

"I thought you'd be here, Maki-chan," a quiet female voice said beside where Maki was sitting, and the red Templar was sufficiently startled that she quickly jumped to her feet, almost stumbling on the chair, and let out a yelp in surprise. The intruder suddenly appeared out of thin air, raising her hands in front of her and waving them frantically while her green eyes flared with worry. "M-Maki-chan! I-I-I'm sorry – I d-didn't—"

"Hanayo, I thought I told you not to do that!" Maki immediately chided once she recognized who it was. Her shoulders relaxed and she shook her head afterwards. "I thought I told you and Rin that you're always welcome here."

Hanayo scratched the back of her head and giggled sheepishly. "It won't happen again." Hanayo was a young Nerazim, being at around the same age as Maki. It wasn't unusual for a Khalai and Nerazim to become friends, despite the recent incursion by Nerazim rebels who opposed the presence of the Khalai on Shakuras. In fact, the two met in this very room: the Nerazim who had just recently passed her Shadow Walk (despite being frightened during the entire ordeal) and was testing one of her newfound abilities as a true Dark Templar, and the Khalai who had recently ascended as a true High Templar (to the immense pride of her mother). Maki was just playing the instrument as usual when Hanayo entered the room, hidden from sight and drawn in by the music. When Maki eventually stopped, Hanayo clapped on impulse, surprising Maki for the first time, though Maki drew a psionic blade out in response that time. The red glow greatly scared Hanayo out of her cloaking, and almost broke down when Maki eventually withdrew her blade and apologized. The second time around, Hanayo announced her presence before entering, and Maki, after being praised for her music, allowed her to stay.

Unusually for a Dark Templar (or a Protoss, even), Hanayo was extremely timid. Soft-spoken and reserved most of the time, it was amazing that she even managed to pass her Shadow Walk – and now that she passed, some of those who know her fear that her new abilities would only make these traits even more pronounced. Of course, she did have a very capable mentor who guided her efforts patiently and gracefully when she decided to take the Shadow Walk. But even then, that decision was only made possible thanks to her friendship with another Khalai, back in her childhood.

"Kayo-chin! Maki-chan!" an energetic female voice called from outside, using a nickname of her own creation for the Nerazim. Footsteps were heard as well, along with a yellow glow along the wall which became brighter as the steps became louder. Finally, the source of the commotion approached the door and opened it. She raised a bright yellow psionic blade on her arm up like a torch as she checked the room, and her yellow eyes sparkled even more brightly than her blade as she recognized the two.

"There you two are!" She immediately disengaged her psi blade and pounced onto the Dark Templar with an enthusiastic hug.

"R-Rin-chan! Careful!" Hanayo warned.

Rin only giggled as she then set her sights onto her fellow Khalai and Templar. "Maki-chaaaan!" She started to pounce onto Maki as well, but was stopped by some near-transparent barrier before she could wrap her hands around. "Ow! Force fields?! That's not fair!"

Maki seemingly rolled her eyes. "They come in handy for these situations, at least." The field eventually dissipated, and this time Maki didn't try to resist Rin's hug right after, though she still grunted in irritation. Hanayo only giggled. It was so typical of Rin. The two had known each other since childhood, and Rin was certainly special; not only because of the color of her own energy, but also because of the intensity of her dominant emotion. Zealots were well-known to wield unbridled rage as a weapon against the enemies of their kind, but only Rin was the one who displayed unbridled excitement. It had the effect of immensely energizing her fellow Zealots as well during training, thanks to the Khala – although her enthusiasm also makes it look like they enjoy battle a little too much. Regardless, this unique psionic 'aura' she has made her a very valuable warrior, and after her first engagement with the Zerg, she was promoted to Praetor. This same energy was what gave Hanayo the confidence to walk the Dark Templar path, along with Rin's own encouraging statements.

Eventually, Rin got to meet Maki as well, once again in the same room they were in right now. Hanayo came to visit Maki once again as the latter was playing the instrument as well, and allowed Rin to tag along. As Hanayo entered, she was surprised that her usually-energetic friend was acting so...calmly. Rin later explained that the music made her feel relaxed and at peace. This also meant that Maki was unable to defend against Rin jumping onto her when the music stopped.

Over the course of their visits, the other two acquired a love of music as well, and it became something the three of them had in common. Every now and then, the two would hum along, and even sway along. Rin even had some energy to dance to the music one time, and Hanayo followed. Maki, on her part, felt happy that she had found two true friends, and that she made them happy with what she does.

These moments of peace would not last, after all. Aiur awaits them, and only when their home was back in their hands would there be genuine peace.

Outskirts of Talematros

There were several caves on the outskirts of Shakuras. Some were hiding grounds for feral Zerg, who were formerly of the Zerg Swarm when they followed the Protoss to Shakuras. Most lay empty.

One particular cave, however, was considered sacred ground. This cave had been Dark Prelate Zeratul's place of meditation, where he honed his skill in the dark arts of the Nerazim. However, with Zeratul's exile since Matriarch Raszagal's death, someone else had taken his place within. It was, of course, with Zeratul's blessing.

The successor was of the Lenassa clan, which was evident from the purple glow of her psionic energy. She was also Zeratul's first apprentice, to whom Zeratul entrusted the title of Prelate before he left Shakuras with a handful of other disciples.

She, like her mentor, was a mystic. With Zeratul's steady guidance, she acquired near-complete control over the energies of the Void, allowing her to manipulate them at will. It was great power that she wields, and she wields them with utmost care and respect. Like Zeratul as well, this mastery of the Void also grants her visions during meditation by peering into the Void itself. Some visions were blurry, ambiguous, and unclear, though at the moment she sought not to pursue them yet – her mentor's self-exile was driven by the need to make one such vision clear.

Other visions can be crystal-clear...but they were mostly inconsequential. She did not even have to move, or even open her eyes, to know what – rather, who – was coming. "How goes the progress of the Golden Armada, Matriarch?"

Matriarch Vorazun, Raszagal's daughter and natural successor, emerged from the shadows behind the Prelate. "The time draws closer, Prelate Nozomi," she replied.

Nozomi finally stood, and turned to face the Matriarch. "I see. And you will not be departing with me and our other brothers and sisters?"

"The defense of Shakuras is my primary concern, as you well know." She put her hand on Nozomi's shoulder. "And I trust that you will be more than capable of leading our warriors in my stead."

"So, what brings you to this place?"

"The council will convene again on the next sunrise. I would like to have your presence with me."

Nozomi bowed. "I would be more than honored, Matriarch." Vorazun left afterwards, leaving Nozomi in solitude once again. Sunrise was still a while away, so Nozomi could continue to have a few extra moments of meditation. She sat down right after and focused her mind. Once again, an unclear vision entered her mind.

This time, however, it was accompanied by...music. She has never heard it before, but it was calming and made her feel at peace. 'What does this vision hold?' she wondered with a small smile.

A/N: Okay, so I don't really know where I'm going with this. This strange crossover just came along in my mind, and I wrote about it on impulse. I might continue this, probably. I need more ideas on how to twist it along.

But there you have it. School idols...in goddamn Starcraft!

I don't own Love Live!, Starcraft, nor the characters and other intellectual property associated with either franchise.